2025 Impact Report
Your Support Fuels our success! Here’s what you made possible this year:
Housing Myth Busting
Families CCAN and SAU1 successfully completed a two-year project funded by the PA Developmental Disabilities Council to educate self advocates, family members, and other stakeholders across PA about housing choice and successful models for living in the community. The team delivered 19 presentations, reaching 250+ individuals. We built an online housing resource toolbox and featured the success stories of 16 community members on our website. The project employed five individuals with disabilities in meaningful work.
Skill-building workshops
We deliver unique content and innovative ways to build skills and take steps towards independence for individuals with disabilities and families. Our virtual Peer to Peer Workshop is led by paid peer instructors. They share their experiences and successes as people with disabilities living on their own, with supports. Over 60 individuals have joined to learn and practice. Our One-Stop Workshops provide opportunities to practice skills related to strengths-based, person-centered planning, all in 75 minutes. We are always developing new workshop topics.
Families CCAN Cook
This free program has been going strong since 2020! Families CCAN Cook regularly attracts 20 participants per session and continues to reach new cooks. People with disabilities and their supporters join our trained instructor each week on Zoom from their own kitchens to make a healthy meal in one hour. Every few weeks our chefs celebrate their cooking skills at a Families CCAN Cook Online Dinner Party. We are building an amazing online community!
Monthly Resource Meetings
Our capstone program for over 11 years, free virtual Monthly Resource Meetings provide information and resources, access to experts, and networking opportunities. Presenters are often individuals with disabilities. 2025 topics included Pathways to Employment, Money Management, and Transition from High School. Over 200 individuals and families joined this past year.
Fall Festival 2025
Responding to requests for more opportunities to build community, Families CCAN sponsored an in-person, inclusive celebration in November 2025. We played games, made crafts, and enjoyed live music. Businesses run by people with disabilities sold hot drinks and fresh-baked cookies. It was an afternoon of friendship , joy, and connection! We look forward to doing it again in 2026. (Read more about the event in this article!)
Lower Merion Village
Families CCAN and a group of volunteers are developing Lower Merion Village. Not a physical space, the Village is an inclusive network of older adults and individuals with disabilities, building a connected web of neighbors and volunteers for programs and volunteer services to enable individuals to successfully age in place. Families CCAN received a grant from Lower Merion Township to launch this initiative. The Village will open for paid memberships in 2026.
Capacity-Building Milestones
In 2025, Families CCAN’s Board of Directors engaged in an intensive planning process. To enable Families CCAN to respond to our community’s needs, we are taking the following steps:
creating new programs to engage and build relationships for our participants
expanding in-person events that also offer opportunities for new funders, sponsors, and outreach.
improving and simplifying our communication, data-collection, and project management systems.
In 2026 Families CCAN will celebrate its 12th Anniversary!